Saturday, 25 September 2010

Well, this is the beginning. I'm not sure how many, if any people will read this, but i wanted some way to record the whole journey that'll end up with me standing on the very tip of scotland- a wonderous place that i'm ashamed to say i've yet to visit.

I'm 7 months from starting the journey from this sign all the way up to John O'Groats- if you squint at the picture thats 874 miles of cycling...at least. At the moment 7 months doesn't seem very long, i've a head full of things I need to prepare, everything from choosing a bike to how many packets of noodles i'll need...and how much they'll weigh...and what i'll look like after 20 days of noodle consumption. It seemed like a good idea a week ago, three weeks, just me on a bike, my tent and the open road, today i spent some time looking thinking about bum-ache and now it all seems a little less rose tinted!

The journey is important to me for lots of reasons,the opportunity arose because after several years of trying I finally left a job that I loved, hated and which proved unhealthy; so without a current occupation I have the free time to go. I'm also recovering from ME and really need something to aim for- I still unsure what recovery is, whether you ever become what you once were and whether aiming for Scotland is wise, but I want to try- I have a feeling that the journey is going to amount to far more than the 20ish days spent pedalling my battered old John Atkins bike up and down the hills of the UK. Finally, I guess I wanted to let people know the potential of cycling and the amazing things you can acheive on a (recycled) bike. I know i'm not the first person to discover Scotland on a Cycle and in a tent, but I have ridden bicycles forever and can't think of a better way to discover the world...can you?

Over the next few months i'll be updating and counting down, so check back and see how things are going.